What's behind the Grossman signing?

Grossman will need to find a new number in Houston

Well this came out of nowhere.

Assuming Rex Grossman passes his physical, the Texans have added a fourth quarterback to the roster as they complete OTAs and head into their mandatory minicamp next week.

The first thing I heard on local sports talk radio was 'Orlovsky must be stinking it up at OTA's"

While I have zero knowledge of how Dan O has been doing at OTAs, I'll give the Texans the benefit of the doubt that's not the reason behind this signing. 

If Dan O wasn't qualified to be a capable backup to Matt Schaub, you find that out before you give him a three year, nine million dollar deal with a $2.4 million signing bonus.

But this is an interesting signing because Grossman is an experienced veteran - one with a checkered playing career for sure - but one who you think might still be up to a challenge of competing as a backup NFL quarterback.

As we know, the Texans backup quarterback position isn't exactly a Jim Sorgi-like proposition so I'm sure it brings intrigue to agent's trying to find the best fit for their client.

And if what's being reported is correct that it's a one year deal at NFL minimum, it's a no-risk signing. 

It seems a bit surprising that the market wasn't better for Grossman's services around the league, but Grossman has always been wildly inconsistent - or consistently wild depending on your perspective.  Consider during Grossman's best season he threw 20 interceptions.

In what seemed at the time to be an indicator of his diminishing NFL market value, Grossman was recently connected to rumors that he would be participating in a United Football League Pro Day .  That rumor was later denied by Grossman's agent Drew Rosenhaus. 

Rex has spent his entire career in quarterback unfriendly Chicago, so maybe Gary Kubiak can sprinkle some of his pixie dust on him and rejuvenate his career.  I would make for an interesting battle at backup quarterback between the NFL North cast offs.

The most sensible explanation I heard all day about this signing is that Matt Schaub doesn't need a lot of reps in preseason, so this will lessen his load and reduce his exposure to injury during meaningless preseason games. 

So as it stands now, Orlovsky, Grossman and Brink will carry the majority of the QB load through preseason, but it remains to be seen if Grossman can prove to be anything more than a camp arm and respond positively to a more QB friendly environment - and better weather.